FG, ASUU feud: Who blinks first? IT appears the feud between the Federal Government and Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) over non-implementation of the 2009 Agreement has reached its crescendo without hope of early resolution. Suffice to state that ASUU began its current strike on July 1 following failure of the Federal Government to implement some of the terms of Agreement both parties entered into free from all encumbrances entered into 2009. The university teachers have overtime complained that universities are underfunded and that they are no longer known for researches. They have also complained about their welfare and that the academic staff are not well paid to put in their best in the system. This factor largely contributed to the brain-drain syndrome faced by the country. Characteristics of the Nigerian government, when the agreement was signed in 2009, the “government went to sleep” in the words of the former ASUU President, Comrade Ukachukwu Awuzie. This refusal by the government to implement the agreement has led to series of strikes almost yearly. It is important to note that the present administration of President Goodluck Jonathan has strived in the last years to address some of the demands of the union. Secretary to the government of the Federation, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim recently reeled out some of the terms of agreement that have been met by the government. He said: “After series of discussions involving the National Assembly, the SGF, the Chairman of the Needs Assessment Report Implementation Committee, Governor Gabriel Suswam, the Ministers of Education, Labour and the Coordinating Minister for the Economy and other stakeholders, Government has now provided N30 billion to support the University Councils in settling the Earned Allowances”. According to him, all other issues of Consolidated Salary Structure for Academics in Nigerian Universities (CONUASS II, amendment of Pensionable Retirement Age of Academics in the Professorial cadre to 70 years have been fully implemented. Anyim said most of the issues contained in the 2009 agreement, which necessitated the current strike have been fully met except for the earned allowances which ASUU pegged at N92billion. He said, “On July 2nd, 2013, ASUU declared what it called, “total and indefinite strike” over issues it says have remained unresolved pertaining to an agreement it reached with government in 2009. “It is pertinent to narrate the genesis of the 2009 agreement, ASUU went on strike action in 2006 based on their request for a review of personnel matters, on account of this, government initiated a Needs Assessment of the university system comprising federal and states universities, the negotiations led to the 2009 agreement. Some of the issues which bothered on amendment of pensionable retirement age of academics in the professorial cadre, consolidated peculiar allowances (CONPUAA), exclusively for university teaching staff, National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), setting up of budget monitoring committee in all public universities have been fully implemented.” He said areas where government hands are tied like the transfer of Federal Government landed property to universities have been clearly explained why it would not be possible to implement such aspects. Going by the altercation between the ASUU leadership and government negotiation team in the past weeks, it becomes crystal clear that the strike may yet linger because none of the two parties is willing to shift ground on both demand and offer. The Coordinating Minister of the Economy and Minister of Finance, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala had on August 13, said government could not pay the N87billion academic staff Earned Allowance being demanded by ASUU. According to her, “The government has no resources to meet the demand.” However, the government reversed itself and offered the teachers N30 billion, which ASUU swiftly rejected and allegedly withdrew from further talks with the government which it accused of “insincerity”. At this point, the government recently ordered the lecturers back to classroom while the remaining issues are being addressed, especially by the Governing Councils of each university. ASUU on the other hand has said that the government’s order was of no effect and that government should not be taken seriously. ASUU President, Dr Fagge maintains that the issues in dispute were the same issues the union has canvassed since the 80s and 90s, but were never implemented by the government. It would be recalled that after series of meetings for three years (2006 to 2009), the re-negotiation committee led by Gamaliel Onosode, which had representatives of the government, ASUU and the National Universities Commission (NUC) had on October 21, 2009, signed a pact with the terms and conditions binding on the parties. The agreement was signed at the instance of the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua. The parties had agreed that there was need to critically look into the condition of service of academic staff; funding of universities; and university autonomy/academic freedom, as well as other matters. In all, nine issues were raised and agreed upon by the parties. Under the condition of service, a new salary structure for academics in the universities was approved; set of earned allowances (PG supervision, teaching practice/industrial supervision/field trip, honoraria for external/internal examiners, PG study grants, responsibility and excess workload allowances etc) for entitled academic staff per annum; and non-salary conditions of service (fringe benefits, vehicle/car refurbishing loan, housing loan, research and other leaves, injury pension and staff schools) were agreed on. Others included pension for university academic staff and compulsory retirement age of 70 for professors; formation of the Nigerian Universities Pension Management Company (NUPEMCO) and modalities for the operation of the National Health Insurance Scheme in the universities; funding that will inject N1.5183 trillion between 2009 and 2011 into federal universities. On the sources of funds, both budgetary and non-budgetary sources, were recommended. It was agreed that a minimum of 26 per cent of the annual budget of federal and state governments be allocated to education, which shall be progressively reviewed in line with Vision 20:2020, with at least 50 per cent of the 26 per cent channelled to the universities. It was also recommended that education be put on the ‘first charge’ by the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission, while the Federal Government should appropriate and provide assistance to both states that own universities and those who do not but need such assistance in the area of higher education in accordance with Section 164(1) of the 1999 Constitution, among others. The parties further agreed on the restructuring of the governance and leadership structure in the universities; the need to amend the NUC Act of 2004, the Education (National Minimum Standards and Establishment of Institution) Act, 2004, as well as the Joint Admissions and Matriculations Board, JAMB Act of 2004. ASUU had on September 26, 2011 embarked on a two-week warning strike, which forced the government to call the union for a meeting, where the MoU of January 24, last year was eventually signed and parties agreed that discussions on the implementation of the agreement shall be concluded by November 2011, but the government again reneged. Also, the government in the MoU agreed to meet funding requirement for revitalising universities; Federal Government’s assistance to state universities; progressive increase of annual budgetary allocation to education to 26 per cent between 2009 and 2020; earned academic allowances; transfer of landed properties to universities; budget monitoring committee, and setting up of research and development units by companies operating in Nigeria, among others. ASUU’s President, Dr Fagge said after the union had worked for an agreement that will transform the education sector, it realised that the government was insincere. He said that unless the Federal Government changes its tactics and do the right thing, the Universities will remain shut “as long as they continue with the deception”. While reacting to the directive by the Federal Government that the striking lecturers should return to classroom, Fagge said such order should not be taken seriously, insisting that the Federal Government had agreement with ASUU in 2009 and that it was that agreement the union is asking the government to implement. He said: “I think when two people sit down and talk, they should be bound by the agreement. Let government change its tactics and do the right thing, then we will return to work”. The question Nigerians are asking now is that who blinks first? The universities have remained grounded with students roaming the streets. This was why a Group, “Say No Campaign Nigeria”, has asked the Federal Government to honour the agreement reached with ASUU for students to return to classroom. The coordinator of the group, Mr Ezenwa Nwagwu urged the the Federal Government to without any further delay acquiesce to the legitimate demands of ASUU; implement the agreements entered into with these unions; and in particular implement the recommendations of the report of the Needs Assessment team on the state of Nigerian public universities.
Posted on: Thu, 19 Sep 2013 10:44:29 +0000